Toshiba DVD: 9200 vs 6200 vs 4700 (1 Viewer)

[Philip]

I own a Tosh 5109 which has performed flawlessly for over 2 years...I'm adding a DVD player to another set-up and have more confusion now than I did 2 years ago because there were not that many progressive scan DVD players on the market and I wanted to stay with Tosh since I have their 40" widescreen set.
While I can purchase the 9200 for less then 50% of its retail price any day by checking pricescan.com I do not listen to many CDs. Those that I do play are not in DVD A format.
Does that mean I should rule out the 9200 and go with the next model "down"...i.e., 6200?
Or should I wait until October, which is fine with me to look at the 2 new progressive scan DVD players which Toshiba will release?
Since I believe one of the two will have the ability to play DVD A, will that kill sales for the 9200, since it is now the only Tosh player which plays DVD A and will be deemed older technology once the other 2 are released?
Phil
PS: Or should I just bag Toshiba and buy the Pioneer Elite DV-37 since I don't need DVD A found in the DV-38?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Is there a particular reason you want to keep the TV and DVD player from the same manufacturer? I used to own a Toshiba 6200 paired with my Toshiba 56H80 TV, and could see no advantage to them being from the same company. I have since upgraded to the Panasonic RP-91, which I feel is a much better player and operates just as well with the Toshiba TV as the 6200.
FYI, just because a DVD player supports the DVD-Audio format does not mean you need to use that feature. I purchased the RP-91 solely for its DVD-Video features, and have yet to purchase a DVD-Audio disc (my receiver does not have the 5.1 channel analog inputs necessary to take advantage of the format).
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My DVD Collection
AFI 100 Films to watch: 40 -> 5

 

[Philip]

Ability to scale nonanamorphic DVDs like the Panny...
Frank...or anyone, can you please explain what I would actually see in terms of the benefits of this feature in the Panny, which I do not currently have in my Tosh 5109 DVD player?
Does it mean that it will allow me to COMPLETELY fill the entire 16 x 9 screen on my Tosh 56H80 while watching movies in TW1 mode without causing the people to look stretched, since some of the DVDs I buy or rent have black bars across the top and bottom no matter which TW mode I use on the Tosh TV.
Also, regarding my PS, does the Pioneer Elite DV 37 have any benefits over the Tosh DVD 9200. THe Pioneer is many $100's of dollars less so it would help me make a buying decision especially since I do not need DVD Audio.
Phil

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Philip,
The scaling/zoom feature on the RP-91 allows you to leave your Toshiba TV is FULL mode for viewing all DVDs. The Panasonic will zoom/scale the picture for non-anamorphic widescreen DVDs to eliminate the black side bars (window-box). If the aspect ratio of the film is 1.85:1, the image will completely fill your screen (taking into account the overscan of the TV). Films with a wider aspect ratio, such as 2.35:1, will still have small black bars at the top/bottom (just as they do currently when you use TW1 mode on your TV).
The advantage to using the RP-91 to zoom/scale instead of the Toshiba TV is that this DVD player's zoom/scaling function provides a vastly superior picture than the Toshiba TV's simple zoom function via TW1. A high quality non-anamorphic widescreen transfer such as The Abyss or Planet Of The Apes will look almost as good as a true anamorphic transfer. Of course, it cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, so bad non-anamorphic transfers will not suddenly become things of visual beauty.
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My DVD Collection
AFI 100 Films to watch: 40 -> 5
[Edited last by Scott Merryfield on August 31, 2001 at 10:34 AM]

 

[MatthewJ S]

Do not let people tell you that the sd4700 is going to be even remotely comporable to the 9200 in build quality...That's like saying that the 700 series from sony is the newer version of the 9000es...As mnfgrs bring features and technology down into the lower price point product they also stop overbuilding them for performance and durability...It's like some of us want to think that the reason it weighs half as much is because the mnfgr suddenly discovered a brick in the older (yes,better)model and said "oh, lets just take that brick out and charge two thirds less money!"

 

[John Fieldstadt]

I have a Sony 61HS10 with a Toshiba 6200. Will the RP-91's scaling option be a benifit to me if I want to view non-anamorphic DVDs in the 16:9 mode?
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Sony KP-61HS10, Sony DB940, Toshiba SD-6200, JVC HR-7600U, Sony CE545, Sony Sat. Receiver, Klipsch Reference Series (RB-5, RC-3 & RS-3), Klipsch KSW-15, Sennheiser RS-6, Sony RM-AV2100

 

[chris larralde]

Does anyone know what chips the new Toshibas will be using?